Palma’s classy finish won’t be forgotten

I’m not against running up the score, within reason. Those who complain about it often use it as a way to shift responsibility, without accepting blame. It’s an overused excuse in my book.

That being said, I appreciated Palma’s gesture at the end of its 28-21 victory over rival Hollister on Friday night.

Palma had broken a 21-21 tie on an interception return by lineman Jeff Davis with 8:04 left. Hollister then failed to earn a first down and punted, with Palma taking possession with 6:15 left and running out the clock on a 13-play drive.

The most impressive part came at the end. Palma had reached the Hollister 1-yard line with just under one minute left. With a slim lead, Palma had every reason to try to punch it in, especially against a rival.

Instead, with Hollister out of timeouts, Palma quarterback Brian Reader took a knee, twice. One Hollister player even took a running charge at a Palma lineman during one of those plays, knocking the Palma player backward.

But Palma players let it go without complaint and left the field in as classy a manner as anyone could hope for.

For what it’s worth, this reporter was extremely impressed. Such gestures say more about a program than wins or losses ever could.